Cold cases
Cold cases refer to unsolved homicides that remain open, often causing distress for the victims' families and friends due to the lack of closure. These cases typically involve murders that have not been resolved within a certain timeframe, which can vary by police department; some may classify a case as cold after just a few months, while others may take a year or more. The rise in cold cases is often linked to increases in homicide rates, sometimes due to gang and drug-related violence. To address the backlog of unsolved cases, many police departments have established specialized cold case squads that focus exclusively on these investigations rather than responding to new homicides.
Investigating cold cases presents unique challenges, such as lost evidence, deceased witnesses, and the complexity of re-evaluating previous investigative efforts. These squads prioritize cases based on their solvability and rely on experienced detectives skilled in various types of homicide investigations. Modern advancements in forensic science, including DNA analysis and new investigative technologies, have significantly enhanced the ability to solve these longstanding cases. Cold cases not only highlight the importance of law enforcement's ongoing commitment to justice but also reflect the critical role of community involvement and technological innovation in uncovering the truth behind unsolved crimes.
Cold cases
SIGNIFICANCE: Unsolved homicides provide no closure to relatives or friends of the victims. In some instances, a homicide’s going unsolved may allow an at-large killer to commit another homicide. Additionally, large numbers of open homicide cases can place a burden on detectives already struggling with high caseloads. These situations have led to the development of a specialized unit within the homicide division of certain police departments that deals specifically with “cold” cases.
Police departments are, at times, plagued with such high caseloads that their performance is adversely affected. For example, increased homicide rates leading to a backlog of cases could slow results from crime laboratories , autopsies, and medical examiners. Case overloads can be frustrating to detectives who may already be working in departments that are short-staffed. All of these factors can hurt police performance, while allowing homicide cases to remain unsolved.
Unsolved homicides are commonly referred to as “cold cases.” The phrase “cold case” can apply to any unsolved crime but mainly refers to homicides because there is no statute of limitations on murder, and these cases, despite the passing of months, remain open. Police department policies vary regarding the length of time that passes before a case is considered cold. Depending on the size of the department and its number of homicide detectives, a case could become cold after three months or after one year.
An increase in cold cases resulted from the rise in homicides, generally attributed to gang- and drug-related murders. Such cases are among the most difficult to solve. Traditionally, murder victims and their killers usually had some kind of relationship. However, deaths involving undocumented migrants, homeless people, transients, unsolved police shootings, and prostitutes are less likely to be rooted in long-standing personal relationships; thus the cases have a greater likelihood of becoming cold.
The Development of the Cold Case Squad
Cold case squadrons are a viable solution for police departments that have a high number of unsolved homicides. A high volume of new cases may prevent regular homicide detectives from looking into old cases. The first cold case squad to work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was formed in Washington, DC, where the homicide rate had skyrocketed to the point at which overwhelmed detectives solved very few cases, and murders kept increasing. This situation left many cases unsolved, with no detectives to work on them.
The Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) needed to address this issue. In a joint effort with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cold Case Homicide Squad or the Cold Case Squad (CCS) was formed. The squad, which would not respond to new homicide cases, worked exclusively on unsolved murders. Other law-enforcement agencies had formed similar squads in the past, but this was the first time the FBI contributed agents to assist in investigations.
Staffing
Personnel make up the most important element of a cold case squadron. Old cases are among the most frustrating to work on because evidence could have been lost and witnesses are missing or are now deceased. These are cases that, after all, one or several competent detectives have failed to solve. Only experienced, innovative, and resilient detectives are recommended for cold case investigations. These agents should have knowledge in investigating and prosecuting various types of homicides. Experience with violent crimes is also helpful in these types of cases, as is experience in gang- and drug-related homicides.
Most full-time cold case squads employ two to four investigators. Usually they also have a lieutenant supervisor from the homicide division or a sergeant who manages the squad. Some departments that are too small to carry a full-time cold case squad instead have a part-time squad made up of detectives who split their time between cold cases and their regular caseloads.
Process
A case is usually referred to a cold case squad by a homicide division supervisor or another homicide detective. Sometimes a prosecutor will decide to reopen an unsolved case and will request assistance from local law enforcement. Cases are then prioritized, usually being ranked by their likelihood of being solved.
After reviewing the case file, cold case detectives assess previously collected evidence for usability. Investigators then attempt to fill in any information missing from the original investigation. This includes speaking with the original case investigators, obtaining missing notes from the case file, and reinterviewing old witnesses.
One of the main challenges in a cold case investigation is locating and interviewing unknown or reluctant witnesses. These witnesses may be difficult to find or reluctant to speak, but the hope is that enough time has passed so that they are now willing to cooperate with the police. In this instance, the passage of time could aid, rather than hinder, detectives.
Once the process is completed, if no arrest is made or no viable suspect is identified, the detectives write a summary of their new investigation and recommend either further investigation or to close the case. A cold case can either be closed through an arrest or administratively. A case can also be considered closed if the suspect believed to be guilty is deceased or is serving a life sentence for another crime. Ultimately, the effectiveness of a cold case squad is measured by the number of cases it clears.
Technology
A significant advantage possessed by modern cold case investigators is the benefit of improved technology. Advancements in forensic analysis and investigative techniques have improved investigators’ capabilities; these resources were not available to previous examiners.
New technology can shed new light on previously unsolved cases. DNA analysis and new methods in fingerprint identification and biometric identification technology have been great tools in clearing cases. Cold case investigators have also been known to utilize external resources, such as assistance from the FBI and US Marshals Service, medical officers, and coroners. Amateur sleuths have increasingly generated leads using DNA databases and social media, for example, true-crime podcasts have helped investigators solve several cases and new methods of extracting DNA from old evidence has helped investigators find suspects. Such sleuthing increasingly involves the use of genetic genealogy databases to find suspects whose DNA is not in criminal databases.
Bibliography
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